Average reading scale score and percentage of 8th-graders in public schools attaining reading achievement levels, by locale and state or jurisdiction: Selected years, 1998 through 2007

State or jurisdiction

Average scale score1

Percent attaining reading achievement levels, 2005

Average scale score1 by locale,2 2005

1998

2002

2003

2005

2007

Below Basic

At or above Basic3

At or above Proficient4

At Advanced5

Central city

Urban fringe/ large town

Rural/ small town

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

United States6

261

(0.8)

263

(0.5)

261

(0.2)

260

(0.2)

261

(0.2)

27

(0.3)

73

(0.3)

29

(0.2)

2

(0.1)

254

(0.4)

264

(0.3)

262

(0.4)

Alabama

255

(1.4)

253

(1.3)

253

(1.5)

252

(1.4)

252

(1.0)

38

(1.2)

62

(1.2)

21

(1.3)

1

(0.4)

246

(2.8)

260

(3.1)

250

(1.6)

Alaska

—

(†)

—

(†)

256

(1.1)

259

(0.9)

259

(1.0)

29

(1.2)

71

(1.2)

27

(1.2)

2

(0.4)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Arizona

260

(1.1)

257

(1.3)

255

(1.4)

255

(1.0)

255

(1.2)

35

(1.6)

65

(1.6)

24

(1.4)

2

(0.5)

253

(1.5)

258

(2.2)

253

(4.5)

Arkansas

256

(1.3)

260

(1.1)

258

(1.3)

258

(1.1)

258

(1.0)

30

(1.3)

70

(1.3)

25

(1.1)

1

(0.4)

257

(2.8)

261

(2.0)

257

(1.3)

California7,8,9

252

(1.6)

250

(1.8)

251

(1.3)

250

(0.6)

251

(0.8)

38

(0.8)

62

(0.8)

21

(0.8)

2

(0.3)

249

(0.9)

251

(0.9)

257

(3.6)

Colorado

264

(1.0)

—

(†)

268

(1.2)

265

(1.1)

266

(1.0)

21

(1.2)

79

(1.2)

35

(1.5)

2

(0.5)

260

(2.1)

268

(1.5)

266

(2.0)

Connecticut

270

(1.0)

267

(1.2)

267

(1.1)

264

(1.3)

267

(1.6)

23

(1.7)

77

(1.7)

37

(1.7)

5

(0.4)

245

(3.0)

270

(1.5)

269

(1.8)

Delaware

254

(1.3)

267

(0.5)

265

(0.7)

266

(0.6)

265

(0.6)

23

(0.8)

77

(0.8)

31

(1.2)

2

(0.4)

266

(2.4)

265

(0.7)

269

(1.4)

District of Columbia

236

(2.1)

240

(0.9)

239

(0.8)

238

(0.9)

241

(0.7)

52

(1.1)

48

(1.1)

12

(1.0)

1

(0.3)

238

(0.9)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Florida

255

(1.4)

261

(1.6)

257

(1.3)

256

(1.2)

260

(1.2)

29

(1.3)

71

(1.3)

28

(1.3)

2

(0.4)

252

(2.4)

257

(1.5)

257

(2.6)

Georgia

257

(1.4)

258

(1.0)

258

(1.1)

257

(1.3)

259

(1.0)

30

(1.4)

70

(1.4)

26

(1.4)

2

(0.5)

245

(2.8)

261

(2.1)

257

(2.1)

Hawaii

249

(1.0)

252

(0.9)

251

(0.9)

249

(0.9)

251

(0.8)

38

(1.0)

62

(1.0)

20

(0.9)

1

(0.3)

255

(1.6)

249

(1.4)

243

(1.5)

Idaho

—

(†)

266

(1.1)

264

(0.9)

264

(1.1)

265

(0.9)

22

(0.8)

78

(0.8)

32

(1.3)

2

(0.4)

266

(1.3)

264

(1.4)

263

(2.0)

Illinois

—

(†)

—

(†)

266

(1.0)

264

(1.0)

263

(1.0)

25

(1.1)

75

(1.1)

30

(1.5)

2

(0.4)

256

(1.9)

268

(1.5)

266

(2.1)

Indiana

—

(†)

265

(1.3)

265

(1.0)

261

(1.1)

264

(1.1)

24

(1.1)

76

(1.1)

31

(1.5)

2

(0.5)

254

(2.1)

265

(2.0)

263

(1.6)

Iowa

—

(†)

—

(†)

268

(0.8)

267

(0.9)

267

(0.9)

20

(1.0)

80

(1.0)

36

(1.4)

2

(0.6)

262

(1.5)

272

(2.3)

268

(1.4)

Kansas7,8,9

268

(1.4)

269

(1.3)

266

(1.5)

267

(1.0)

267

(0.8)

19

(1.0)

81

(1.0)

35

(1.2)

2

(0.4)

262

(2.6)

270

(1.7)

267

(1.1)

Kentucky

262

(1.4)

265

(1.0)

266

(1.3)

264

(1.1)

262

(1.0)

27

(1.2)

73

(1.2)

28

(1.2)

3

(0.5)

271

(2.3)

262

(2.1)

263

(1.6)

Louisiana

252

(1.4)

256

(1.5)

253

(1.6)

253

(1.6)

253

(1.1)

36

(1.6)

64

(1.6)

19

(1.2)

1

(0.5)

247

(2.8)

255

(2.8)

255

(1.9)

Maine

271

(1.2)

270

(0.9)

268

(1.0)

270

(1.0)

270

(0.8)

17

(1.0)

83

(1.0)

37

(1.3)

3

(0.5)

269

(2.6)

277

(2.1)

269

(1.1)

Maryland7,8

261

(1.8)

263

(1.7)

262

(1.4)

261

(1.2)

265

(1.2)

24

(1.3)

76

(1.3)

33

(1.5)

3

(0.4)

251

(3.6)

262

(1.5)

266

(2.7)

Massachusetts

269

(1.4)

271

(1.3)

273

(1.0)

274

(1.0)

273

(1.0)

16

(0.9)

84

(0.9)

43

(1.5)

4

(0.7)

258

(1.4)

280

(1.3)

282

(3.1)

Michigan

—

(†)

265

(1.6)

264

(1.8)

261

(1.2)

260

(1.2)

28

(1.5)

72

(1.5)

28

(1.3)

2

(0.4)

251

(2.9)

265

(1.4)

266

(2.2)

Minnesota7,8

265

(1.4)

—

(†)

268

(1.1)

268

(1.2)

268

(0.9)

20

(1.2)

80

(1.2)

37

(1.2)

3

(0.5)

264

(3.2)

272

(1.6)

267

(1.6)

Mississippi

251

(1.2)

255

(0.9)

255

(1.4)

251

(1.3)

250

(1.1)

40

(1.4)

60

(1.4)

17

(1.4)

1

(0.3)

246

(2.9)

254

(2.2)

250

(1.8)

Missouri

262

(1.3)

268

(1.0)

267

(1.0)

265

(1.0)

263

(1.0)

25

(1.1)

75

(1.1)

31

(1.2)

3

(0.3)

258

(3.0)

267

(1.3)

266

(1.6)

Montana7,8

271

(1.3)

270

(1.0)

270

(1.0)

269

(0.7)

271

(0.8)

15

(1.0)

85

(1.0)

39

(1.4)

2

(0.4)

270

(1.6)

271

(1.8)

268

(0.9)

Nebraska

—

(†)

270

(0.9)

266

(0.9)

268

(0.9)

267

(0.9)

21

(1.2)

79

(1.2)

35

(1.3)

3

(0.5)

266

(1.6)

268

(1.6)

268

(1.4)

Nevada

258

(1.0)

251

(0.8)

252

(0.8)

253

(1.0)

252

(0.8)

37

(0.9)

63

(0.9)

22

(1.0)

2

(0.4)

253

(1.4)

251

(1.4)

256

(1.5)

New Hampshire

—

(†)

—

(†)

271

(0.9)

270

(1.2)

270

(0.9)

18

(1.2)

82

(1.2)

37

(1.3)

3

(0.4)

264

(2.1)

270

(2.0)

272

(1.9)

New Jersey

—

(†)

—

(†)

268

(1.2)

269

(1.2)

270

(1.1)

19

(1.0)

81

(1.0)

39

(1.5)

4

(0.6)

‡

(†)

270

(1.2)

278

(3.0)

New Mexico

258

(1.2)

254

(1.0)

252

(0.9)

251

(1.0)

251

(0.8)

38

(1.3)

62

(1.3)

17

(0.9)

1

(0.3)

256

(1.9)

249

(1.9)

248

(1.7)

New York7,8

265

(1.5)

264

(1.5)

265

(1.3)

265

(1.0)

264

(1.1)

25

(1.3)

75

(1.3)

32

(1.4)

3

(0.3)

252

(1.5)

275

(1.4)

272

(1.4)

North Carolina

262

(1.1)

265

(1.1)

262

(1.0)

258

(0.9)

259

(1.1)

29

(1.3)

71

(1.3)

28

(1.1)

2

(0.4)

257

(1.6)

261

(1.9)

258

(1.5)

North Dakota8

—

(†)

268

(0.8)

270

(0.8)

270

(0.6)

268

(0.7)

16

(1.0)

84

(1.0)

32

(1.3)

1

(0.5)

271

(1.5)

270

(1.8)

270

(0.8)

Ohio

—

(†)

268

(1.6)

267

(1.3)

267

(1.3)

268

(1.2)

21

(1.2)

79

(1.2)

36

(1.6)

3

(0.6)

248

(3.1)

272

(1.6)

272

(2.2)

Oklahoma

265

(1.2)

262

(0.8)

262

(0.9)

260

(1.1)

260

(0.8)

28

(1.0)

72

(1.0)

26

(1.2)

1

(0.3)

252

(4.0)

264

(1.3)

259

(1.4)

Oregon8

266

(1.5)

268

(1.3)

264

(1.2)

263

(1.1)

266

(0.9)

23

(1.2)

77

(1.2)

34

(1.7)

3

(0.4)

264

(2.2)

264

(1.7)

261

(1.9)

Pennsylvania

—

(†)

265

(1.0)

264

(1.2)

267

(1.3)

268

(1.2)

21

(1.4)

79

(1.4)

36

(1.5)

3

(0.6)

247

(3.9)

273

(1.9)

268

(1.4)

Rhode Island

264

(0.9)

262

(0.8)

261

(0.7)

261

(0.7)

258

(0.9)

31

(1.2)

69

(1.2)

27

(1.1)

2

(0.3)

245

(1.4)

267

(1.0)

275

(1.8)

South Carolina

255

(1.1)

258

(1.1)

258

(1.3)

257

(1.1)

257

(0.9)

31

(1.2)

69

(1.2)

25

(1.4)

2

(0.3)

259

(2.5)

262

(1.6)

253

(1.5)

South Dakota

—

(†)

—

(†)

270

(0.8)

269

(0.6)

270

(0.7)

17

(0.9)

83

(0.9)

37

(1.9)

2

(0.4)

267

(1.1)

271

(2.4)

269

(0.7)

Tennessee8

258

(1.2)

260

(1.4)

258

(1.2)

259

(0.9)

259

(1.0)

29

(1.3)

71

(1.3)

26

(1.1)

2

(0.4)

252

(1.7)

264

(2.3)

260

(1.6)

Texas

261

(1.4)

262

(1.4)

259

(1.1)

258

(0.6)

261

(0.9)

27

(1.0)

73

(1.0)

28

(1.2)

2

(0.3)

256

(1.1)

261

(1.1)

259

(1.6)

Utah

263

(1.0)

263

(1.1)

264

(0.8)

262

(0.8)

262

(1.0)

25

(1.1)

75

(1.1)

30

(1.2)

2

(0.4)

261

(1.4)

262

(1.0)

264

(3.0)

Vermont

—

(†)

272

(0.9)

271

(0.8)

269

(0.8)

273

(0.8)

16

(1.1)

84

(1.1)

42

(1.3)

4

(0.6)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Virginia

266

(1.1)

269

(1.0)

268

(1.1)

268

(1.0)

267

(1.1)

21

(1.2)

79

(1.2)

34

(1.6)

3

(0.4)

260

(1.7)

273

(1.6)

266

(2.1)

Washington8

264

(1.2)

268

(1.2)

264

(0.9)

265

(1.3)

265

(0.9)

23

(1.1)

77

(1.1)

34

(1.3)

3

(0.4)

264

(2.4)

265

(1.5)

265

(2.3)

West Virginia

262

(1.0)

264

(1.0)

260

(1.0)

255

(1.2)

255

(1.0)

32

(1.2)

68

(1.2)

23

(1.1)

1

(0.3)

261

(2.0)

259

(2.7)

252

(1.3)

Wisconsin7,8

265

(1.8)

—

(†)

266

(1.3)

266

(1.1)

264

(1.0)

24

(1.3)

76

(1.3)

33

(1.7)

3

(0.4)

255

(2.6)

276

(1.6)

266

(1.6)

Wyoming

263

(1.3)

265

(0.7)

267

(0.5)

268

(0.7)

266

(0.7)

20

(1.1)

80

(1.1)

33

(1.0)

2

(0.5)

267

(1.6)

270

(3.7)

269

(0.8)

Department of Defense dependents schools10

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

271

(0.7)

273

(1.0)

13

(1.3)

87

(1.3)

39

(1.6)

2

(0.5)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Domestic schools

268

(4.5)

272

(1.0)

269

(1.4)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Overseas schools

269

(1.0)

273

(0.6)

273

(0.7)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Other jurisdictions

American Samoa

—

(†)

198

(1.7)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

Guam

—

(†)

240

(1.2)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

Virgin Islands

231

(2.1)

241

(1.3)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

—

(†)

— Not available.
† Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met. 1 Scale ranges from 0 to 500.2 Central city is a large or mid-size central city of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Urban fringe/large town includes places that are within an MSA of a central city but not primarily within its central city, as well as towns that are incorporated places not within an MSA and have a population greater than or equal to 25,000. Rural/small town includes places that are defined as rural by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and have a population less than 2,500 and/or a population density of less than 1,000 per square mile, as well as towns that are incorporated places not within an MSA and have a population less than 25,000 but greater than or equal to 2,500.3Basic denotes partial mastery of the knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at the 8th-grade level.4Proficient represents solid academic performance for 8th-graders. Students reaching this level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter.5Advanced signifies superior performance.6 Based on nationally representative sample. 7 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 1998. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.8 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 2002. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias.9 Did not satisfy one or more of the guidelines for school participation in 2003. Data are subject to appreciable nonresponse bias. 10 The definition of the nationally representative sample changed in 2005; it now includes all of the Department of Defense schools.
NOTE: The reading data include students for whom accommodations were permitted. Standard errors appear in parentheses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007 Reading Assessments, retrieved October 9, 2007, from the NAEP Data Explorer http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde/. (This table was prepared October 2007.)